In today’s NHL rumors rundown, Dylan Holloway says he felt he had no choice but to sign the offer sheet with the St. Louis Blues. Meanwhile, one source details what the Winnipeg Jets offered Adam Henrique, who turned down the deal to stay in Edmonton for less money. Finally, the Boston Bruins have signed Tyler Johnson to a professional tryout.
Holloway Says Oilers Didn’t Really Negotiate with Him
Following his decision to sign an offer sheet, new St. Louis Blues’ forward Dylan Holloway spoke with Andy Strickland in an interview and admitted he didn’t feel like the Oilers gave him much of a choice. He noted:
“We knew about the offer sheet before we even had any negotiations with Edmonton, which was kind of weird. We were trying to get a deal done and I didn’t think we were asking for anything crazy at all. If anything, we were very upfront with Edmonton the whole time, even about the offer sheet, explaining to them this is an option for us, ‘Hey, can we get a deal?'”
Holloway thought it was weird the way they handled it so he thought he had no choice but to sign the offer sheet. Holloway said he spoke with Doug Armstrong before and the plan for the Blues was laid out and it got Holloway excited about the future. He thinks he’s in a good place with a team that has a good vision for the future.
Related: Top 10 Draft-Eligible WHL Players for 2024-25: Preseason Edition
Holloway felt like Oilers fans wanted his head and probably still do, but he made the choice he felt he had to.
Oilers Have Had Preliminary Conversations with Two Former Players
As per Kurt Leavins of the Edmonton Journal, the Oilers have had preliminary conversations with free-agent defensemen Tyson Barrie and Justin Schultz. It’s unclear if these discussions advanced, but Edmonton is considering its options on the right side. Barrie loved his time with the Oilers and is eager to return, while Leavins reports Schultz is also open to the idea despite his rough departure from Edmonton.
Jets Offered Henrique a Higher Contract than Oilers
Leavins also notes that the Winnipeg Jets were one of the teams that went after Adam Henrique in free agency before he opted to re-sign with the Oilers. Leavins writes:
A contact of mine in Winnipeg who has knowledge of the conversations says that Adam Henrique turned down a 2-year, $3.5m contract from the Winnipeg Jets at free agency this summer. Instead, he opted for the Oilers on a 2-year, $3m deal to stay in Edmonton. While $500k may not seem like a lot in an $88m cap world, that is about two thirds that of a minimum salaried player.
source – ‘When adding a Top-4 D to the Edmonton Oilers blueline good things come to those who wait: 9 Things’ – Kurt Leavins – Edmonton Journal – 09/01/2024
Boston Bruins Sign Tyler Johnson to Professional Tryout Agreement
The Boston Bruins announced on Saturday that they have signed forward Tyler Johnson to a Professional Tryout Agreement (PTO). Johnson, 34, played 67 games with the Chicago Blackhawks last season, scoring 17 goals and 14 assists for 31 points. It was a bit surprising that, given his experience and production last season, there wasn’t much interest in Johnson from NHL teams.
Over his NHL career, Johnson has played in 738 games with Chicago and Tampa Bay, accumulating 431 points (193 goals, 238 assists) and a plus-20 rating. He is a two-time Stanley Cup champion (2020, 2021) and has appeared in 116 playoff games, recording 32 goals and 33 assists.
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